Azerbaijan, Armenia commit to accelerating peace talks – MFA PHOTO / UPDATED

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia have committed to expediting efforts towards the swift conclusion of a peace agreement during their meeting in Istanbul.

Following the talks, held on the sidelines of the "3+3" regional consultative platform on October 18, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan reaffirmed their intent to push forward with negotiations aimed at finalizing a peace deal, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

"The parties continued the negotiations on the Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations, and agreed to put further efforts towards its finalization and conclusion in the shortest possible period," the ministry said in a press release.

The ministers also expressed their gratitude to Türkiye for hosting the discussions. "The parties acknowledged the hospitality of Türkiye," the statement added.

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A new round of negotiations focused on the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace treaty and the establishment of interstate relations has commenced in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The discussions are part of the 3+3 regional consultative format, which includes foreign ministers from the participating nations, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry told Caliber.Az.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan are leading the talks.

The 3+3 platform, which comprises Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Iran, and Türkiye, was established to tackle regional issues and promote collaboration. The inaugural meeting occurred in December 2021 in Moscow, initially involving deputy foreign ministers. Since then, the platform has progressed to include higher-level discussions.

The latest meeting took place in October 2023 in Tehran, where the foreign ministers convened to address current regional concerns. It is noteworthy that Georgia officially withdrew from the platform on November 15, 2023.

By Vafa Guliyeva